Vehicle-wheel



T. Vl WASHBURN.

VEHICLE WHEEL. A APPLICATION FILED FB.25, 1920.

1,354,269. Pamnsepa. 2s, ma

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Vgate the spokes.

narran STATES YPATENT oFFlcE.

THOMAS VICTOR NASIBURN, 'OF CARBONDALE, PENNSYLVijLNIA, ASSlGNOR OF ONE- HALF T0 PATRICK JOSEPH MURRAY, OF 'Ci-aRBN'Dr-LLE, PENNSYLVANIA. i

vEnrcLnwHnEL;

To @ZZ whom it may concer .v' Y

Be it' known that I, TrioMAs Vieron-Y YVASHBURN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Carbondale, in the county of Lackawanna and` State orP Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful 1mprovements in Vehicle-Vheels, of which the 'ollowinfr is a specification. Y

This invention relates to vehicle wheels of vthe class in which the rim of the wheel is Vmeans within them, such as springs, and I connect one set of cylinders to the rim and the other set to the hub. Preferably the rim is carried by -a web to which the cylinders are secured and which is provided with openings in which the cylinders are arranged.y The hub of the wheel is of ordinary construction, but is provided with peripheral flanges carrying a polygonal 'connecting member which is interposed between the inner cylinders of the spokes and the hub. Preferably ,springs are arranged within the cylinders and these are placed under compression so as to tend to move the cylinders endwise in such manner as to elon- The inner ends ,of the inner cylinders rest on rollers carried by the connecting member', the arrangement being such that when the spokes are shortenedor elongated, the inner ends of the inner cylinders will move tangentially to the axis of the wheel. Y

ln the accompanying drawings,

Figure l is a side elevation of a wheel embodying my improvements.

Fig. 9. shows a section on the line 2-2 of F ig. l.

Fig. 3 shows a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. l.

Fig. is a view on an enlarged scale and in section showing more clearly the construction of the spokes and the manner in which they are supported.

Fig. 5 is Aan enlarged detail view showing particularly the construction of one of the Vor any suitable material.

Speceation of Letters Patent. Patented Sept, 28, 1920, l ppueaaon med February 25, 19,20. serial No. 361,235.

roller bearings and how the inner member of a. spoke is supported thereon.

Fig. 6 isa perspective view of a portion of a roller bearing.

The rim A ot the wheel may be of any suitable construction. As shown, it has a plain metal tire and it is secured to the flange of a web B, which may be of wood, metal The web B has a polygonal opening X and the web has a series of radial openings b to receive the spoke cylinders hereinafter described. The web also is formed with narrower openings b2, for a purpose hereinafter explained. rlChe hub C receives the axle D and this hub isV provided with a ixed flange Z and a detachable flange d. yThe polygonal member E for connecting the spokes with the hub comprises a web secured between the flanges d, d of the hub and having a widened chambered polygonal portion vto receive roller bearings F. The roller bearing receiving chambers are each formedv by extending the web laterally in opposite directions as indicated atc and then bending them outward as indicated at e', in Fig. 2.

As illustrating one form of my invention Iliave shown a polygonalconnecting member E provided with six lchambers for the roller bearings, but this number may be varied.

Vithin each chamber G I mount a roller bearing F. This is preferably of the construction shown in Fig. G, comprising a boX` or cage consisting of a flanged inner member f and a top plate or cover f. The inner member f is secured to the member E in the manner indicated at f2 and the top plate is secured to the inner member in the manner shown at Each rollerv comprises amiddle part 7L and outer parts 71. connected by reduced portions k2, which rest in recesses 7b3 in the part f and they are held in place by the top plate f. Each spoke comprisesan outer cylinder M and an inner cylinder N, having a hanged inner end n. VEach outer cylinder is arranged in an opening b in the web B and it is secured to the web by straps m, attached to the web at m. Each inner cylinder N telescopes with an outer cylinder and is adapted to slide therein. lVithin the cylinder N there is a spring O which bears on the closed inner end of the cylinder N and it also bears on a cap shaped head P, arranged in the outer portion of the cylinder The outer end of veach' cylinderv M'is closed but it has a threaded opening through which extends an adjusting lscrew operating in the'o ening b2v and bearing against the headP. y means of this screw the ten- `sion of the spring may be varied.

ly have indicated in the drawings siX setsof spoke cylinders and devices associated therewith, but this number may be variedA and while I AhaveillustratedY coil `'springs within the cylinders their equivalents may be employed. i l

The inner-end of each cylinder N bears ony the Yrollers h, i, and thus an easy sliding movement is effected when necessary.

` Fig. l illustrates the'normal condition of the -spokes but when the wheel sustains weight'the'spokes of the lower part 'of the wheel are shortened and tie 'spokes of the upper part elongated, Vas usual in this class VVof wheels. Furthermore, when passing over f obstructions or irregularities in the roadthe Y same eiect is produced. When the length s of' the vspokes is changed the longitudinal wheel made in accordance with my inventio'n is simple in construction and'is very dura-ble. `As beforestated, therim of the wheel maybe entirely metallic or it may be Yotherwise constructed.v There is of course no danger or" puncture and it is obvious that shocks and jars will to a very large degree be eliminated, or vso reduced as to" make the use of the wheel more easy an'de'licient.

lY claim as my invention:

.. "11. A vehicle wheel comprising4 a rim, a

hub', a connecting member secured to the hub Y and having a polygonal series ofchamb'ers onv its outer edge,fa series of rollers arranged in each chamber tangentially with reference to the hub, and spokes connecting the rim with the connecting member comprising an outer series of cylinders connected with the rim, an inner series vof cylinders telescoping with the outer series and which bear against d the rollers carried by the connecting inember, and cushioning means within the cylinders. Y p

2. A vehicle wheel comprising a rim, a

hub. aV connecting member secured to the hub and having a cliambered periphery, roller bearings, arranged in said chambers and comprising a series of rollers in each chamberarranged tangentially with reference to the hub, and spokes connecting the rim with the connecting memberfcomprising outer setof cylinders rigidly connected with the rim, an inner set of cylinders yt'elescoping with Vthose first mentioned and which bear at'k their. inner ends on the roller hearings, and .cushioningI means within thecylinders.

3. A vehicle' wheel comprising aY rim, a

wheel web rigidly secured theretoand having a series of radial openings, a'series. oic cylinders arranged in said openings and rigidly attached tofthe web, a connecting member rigidly attached to the, hub, and which is cliainbered'on 'its outer. edge, roller bearings arranged vinlsaid chambers coinprising in each chamber aplurality of rollers arranged in altangential series with reierence to the axis of the hub, a series ci' cylinders telescoping with thosel iirst inentioned andfbearing atv theirV innerl ends on the Vroller bearings, and cushioning me ne within the cylinders.

4. A vehicle wheel vcomprising a rim, a web rigidlyv secured thereto and having radially exposed openings, a hub, a connecting Vmembersecured ,to the hub, and Vhaving roller bearing chambersV in its outer edge, roller bearings arranged in said chambers comprising .in eachchambcr a plurality of rollers'arranged tangentially with reference to the airis of the hub, cylinders arranged in theopenings onv the web and rigidly secured to the web, cylinderstelescoping with those'iirst mentioned'v and having enlarged inner ends which rest on the Vroller bearings in 'the coniiecting-1member, springs in the cylindersand adjusting screws Ybearing on theA springs and the web.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed VInyname.

THOMAS vieron Witsen-URN. A

arranged in openings on' 

